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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be assisting with the funeral expenses of six persons in Portland Cottage, Clarendon, who lost their lives during Hurricane Ivan. Delroy Palmer, the Ministry's Parish Manager for Clarendon, told JIS News that a total assistance package of $480,000 would be provided, with each family to receive $80,000. "We have committed to helping...

Approximately 6,475 cases of damage to houses and property in the parish of Clarendon have been reported to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. Delroy Palmer, Parish Manager for the Ministry, said that assessments were being carried out in 61 communities across the parish and reports of damage or destruction were being verified by his office. He said that...

Cabinet has approved a submission for a special payment of approximately $375 million to some 75,000 active NIS pensioners, to offset additional expenses incurred by Hurricane Ivan. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, making the announcement at yesterday's (September 27) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in Kingston, told journalists that a sum of $5,000 would be paid to all NIS pensioners....

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, K.D. Knight, has called on the international community to recognize the unique vulnerabilities of small island states such as Jamaica, to natural disasters, and has appealed to the United Nations (UN) to adopt measures that would aid in the process of recovery and reconstruction in affected countries. "In our part of the world,...

Some 1,000 Pounds Sterling is to be donated to the Jamaica Hurricane Ivan Relief Fund by MacMillan Caribbean and Jamaican artist, Judy Ann MacMillan, following the London launch of her new book, 'My Jamaica'. The funds represent the proceeds of the sale of Miss MacMillan's book during the launch last Thursday (September 23) at the Jonathan Clarke Gallery in Chelsea,...

Donations of medical supplies, stand-by generators, non-perishable food items, clothing, money and building supplies were among the relief supplies donated last weekend by the Jamaican community in Atlanta and friends of Jamaica. The items were donated during the three-day drive organized by Union of Jamaica Organization in Atlanta, at the Hillside Presbyterian Church.Radio stations, such as WRFG 89.3 FM, WCLK...

On Thursday, September 30, the Jamaica maritime fraternity will observe World Maritime Day. The main objective of this year's celebrations is to ensure greater sensitisation and understanding of maritime matters, Carolyn Graham, Research Analyst at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), told JIS News in an interview. World Maritime Day is designed to focus attention on the importance of shipping...

The Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force will be joining forces through youth volunteers, to help in the clean-up process after Hurricane Ivan. Communications Liaison at the ONR, Tracey Hamilton, told JIS News that this collaboration came out of a recent meeting among Chief Executive Officer of the ONR, Danville...

The Research Department of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), will be staging a Book Fair at its headquarters at 58A Half-Way-Tree Road on Friday, October 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday, October 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will be the fourth fair to be staged at headquarters in the Corporate Area, since the...

The government is carrying out assessments to determine relocation options for persons in flood prone areas such as Portland Cottage in Clarendon, Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine and Brighton in Western Westmoreland. Prime Minister P. J. Patterson made the announcement at Monday's (Sept. 27) post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House. Meanwhile, he informed that the Ministries of Local...

The Salvation Army, one of the national relief agencies, will be intensifying its efforts in Cave Valley, St. Ann and Southfield in St. Elizabeth, areas devastated by Hurricane Ivan on September 10. Major Denzil Walker of the Salvation Army said the office would be stepping up relief efforts and "getting more involved". "There will be continual assessments of the situations...

The National Water Commission (NWC) has reported that service has been restored to over 306 schemes, which account for 85 per cent of its total production. Of the 459 schemes that the NWC owns, 153 remain out of operation. E. G. Hunter, President of the (NWC) said the remaining schemes were largely small rural ones, which accounted for 10 to...